Kinetoscope.



4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. W.l BINGHAMr KINETOSGOPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1908.

960,794. 'Patented June 7, 1910.

G. W. BINGHAM.

KINETOSGOPB.

APyLIoATIoN FILED Mums, 19os. 960,794. Patented June '7, 1910.

4 SH'EETSTSHBET' s.

l. 0 A W r r@ G. W. BINGHAM.

KINETOSCOPE.

APPLIGATION FILEDA MAY 25, 1908.

960,794. Patented June 7,1910.

-4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

l IIIl -The upper sprocket tion and UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFFIoE.

GEORGE W. BINGI-IAM, O BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSGNOR TO THE RING-HAM MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORTIGN OF MANE.

`KINETOSCOPE To all whom 'it may concern.'

UAM, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Brooklyn, in thev county of Kings and State ofdfew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Kinetoscopes, ot which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates generally to moving-'picture machines, and has more particularly reference to the film advancing means and their relation to the shutter.

The objects of the invention are to properly control the film so as to insure proper registry with the exposure opening, to permit of. easy framing of the picture, and to reduce the flicker due to the intermittent shifting of the lm.

In carrying out the above objects, the invention comprises the following: rl`wo rotary ilm feeding` devices, such as sprockets, are employed. One of these sprockets is located above and the other below the eX- posure opening'. These sprockets are driven continuously at the same speed by suitable gearing. interposed between the two sprockets is a device for intermittently advancing the lilm past the exposure opening. acts as a continuous slack producing device, and the lower sprocket as a continuous take-up device. in order to frame the picture or to decrease the size of the loop, the .lower sprocket is rotatable independently of its normal rotaindependently oi the upper sprocket. And, in order to' provide sutilcient slack to permit the lower sprocket to frame the' picture, the upper sprocket is likewise In connection with the above is eniployed an intermittent clamping device tor clamping the exposed portion oit the lm. This clamping device is here shown as being int/erposed between the upper sprocket and the means for intermittently advancing the film. l,

In combination with the above is further employed a reciprocating shutter which movespast the exposure opening twice to each cycle. of the machine.l One of these movements vtakes place' during'the downward stroke of the intermittent ilm advancing mais and when the clamp is oit,

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Application filed May 25, 1998.

independently rotatable at will.l

Patented June '7, 1910. Serial No. 434,908.

while the other movement takes place when the film is standing still and the clamp is on. By subdividing the movement of the shutter in 'this fashion, thecbjectionable flicker is avoided or reduced.

Other features ofy construction will appear as the specification proceeds.

ln the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood that vari- .ous changes and modifications may be made therein, without departing from th V Scope and spirit of the invention.

ln the drawings: Figure 1 is a rear view of a` preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the left hand side of the machine looking in the direction of the arrow X in Fig. l, and showing the. lm advancing cam in section. Fig. 3 is a similar view ot the other side ot' the 1nachine, llooking in the direction ofthe arrow'g/ inFig. l. Fig. i is a sectional view of the upper ilm advancing sprocket taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the same, taken on the line of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a like View of the lower film advancing sprocket. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the shutter operating mechanism and the film clamp and releasing means.

ln the accompanying drawings similar reference characters denote. like parts throughout the several views.

The letter a. denotes the frame of the machine, which may be carried on a suitable base a?. Pivoted to the frame there may be provided an adjustable bracket arm a3 for the support of `a holder for the roll or unused portion of the film. The film after leaving the holder or support therefor,

.passes partially around. a slack forming device, here shown in the shape of a film sprocket c4, thence over the guide roll b or other guiding means, located at the top of the plate or member a4. The film is held in proper engagement with the sprocket or other feeding device by suitable means, such as the roll el journaled in the pivoted bracket c, The spring e holds this roll in yielding engagement with the sprocket and permits displacement of the roll to allow the insertion of the film around thesprocket. rlhc member a4 is provided with a window or exposure opening a5 therein, and coperating with the said window member there vreason it may be pivotally hung from a pair of hinge lugs locatedv at the top or near the upper end of the window member. In 'this connection l also preferably provide means for holding the door in its uppermost or open position. These means may consist of a pin or projection b3 on the door, which, when the door is open, is adapted to make a .frictional or binding engagement with the surface al ofthe hinge lug or lugs; this surface being eccentric to the center a of pivotal support for the door, so that when, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the door is thrown open, the projection or projections, as the case may be, on the door will engage with 1the eccentric locking surface on the hinge ugs. f

The door may be operated to serve as a clamp by any suitable means. In the present instance, these means consist of a hook member d8 adapted to engage a part b4 on the lower edge of the door, and pull the door closed against the tension of a suitable spring or springs b5. This clampv is preferably operated to hold the film during exposure periods and to release the pressure on the film during the intermittent advancing movements of such film. This result may conveniently'be accomplished by means of a cam d5 fixed on the inner end of the shaft cl2, the cam engaging avcam roll d on the lower end of the swinging lever (Z7, to which the hook is pivotally secured, as plainly shown in F ig. 3. This cam is provided with a concentric portion, substantially' as shown, of comparatively great duration, which acts upon the cam roll to hold the gate closed during the greater portion of the revolution of the cam and with a recessed or substantially flattened portion, which, when in engagement with the cam roll, permits the leverdT and the hook carried thereby to be pushed outward by the spring Z9 to release the pressure of the clamping member. As shown in Fig. 3, the cam roll is just about to enter upon the recessed portion of the\ cam for the purpose of relieving the pressure of p.

the clamping member.

Below the exposure opening there is locateda secondfilm feeding device, which, as in the case of the first feeding device, may consist of a constantly rotating film sprocket f4. The film may be held in proper engagement with the' second film feeding by means of a pair of rollers f journaled .in a pivoted bracket f8, which rollers are held in yielding engagement with the film roll by means of a spring f.

Interposed at a point between the upper and lower film feeding devices there is an intermittently operated film advancing` device. This intermittent film advancing means may and preferably does consist of a film advancing roll h6 carried by a rocker arm li* on the inner end of a shaft /z, and fixed upon the opposite end of said shaft there is a crank arm 71.2 carrying a cam roll /r for engagement with the cam groove d* in the member This cam member may be in the form of a balance wheel, as shown, mounted upon the outer end of the cani shaft d2. Associated with the movable film advancing roll is a relatively stationary guide roll its which, as indicated in Fig. l, may be loosely engaged upon the inner end of the shaft It. The'cani groove imparts to the shaft 7L and the film advancing roll carried thereby, an oscillatory up and down movement, as indicated in d oltedlines Fig. 3, and upon each downward stroke of the film advancing roll the film is advanced past the exposure opening an amount substantially equal .to the stroke of the advancing roll. The pressure of the clamping device is preferably released during this downward stroke of the film advancing roll so that there shall be no undue wear on the film. The lower lilm take-up device, which is here shown in the form of the sprocket ff, is so timed as to wind up the film advanced by the film advancing means and to .hold the film. substantially taut during the downward stroke of the film advancing roll.

A. shutter of any approved type may be used in my machine, or if found unnecessary, the shutter may be dispensed with entirely. Il prefer, however, to employ in this connection a shutter of improved construction and which is particularly adapted for use in this machine. As illustrated, this shutter consists of a shutter blade Z2 carried by an arm z' pivoted on a center at right 'ai'igles to the axis of the exposure opening. The shutter is oscillated back and forth past the exposure opening preferably by means of a link s connected with the cam disk d5. The shutter isso timed as to move downward (from the dotted position in Fig. 3) with, and substantially at the same speed as the film, during its intermittent advancing movement. The film and shutter thus pref- )erably move downward at the same, at substantially the same speed, so as to reduce the objectionable flicker ordinarily fincidental to the closing of the shutter, and in order to still further reduce this flicker, the shutter is again moved past the exposure opening, duringr the interval of time in which the 'hlm is stationary and being exposed. fn the present instance. the shutter moves down with the film, then up once pastthe exposure opening While the picture is being exposed, thus dividing each exposure up into a series of two flashes. If found desirable, however, the shutter could be timed to divide up each exposure into a series of more thanV two fiashes. It has 4proven in actual Work that the practice of dividing each exposure into a series of fiashes obviates or reduces to a very large extent the objectionable iickering usually caused by the intermittent advancing movement 0f the film and the operation of the machine.

In order to insure perfect registry of the pictures with the exposure opening, the

take-up device, which is usually in the form of a sprocket, as shown, is preferably made adjustable independently of the means for rotating the same. This result may be accomplished by making the sprocket freely rotatable upon the sprocket shaft c3, and in providing an adjustable'connection between the sprocket and -its shaft, such as the ratchet f5 on the sprocket, adapted vto be engaged by the pawl f2 carried by the xed driving member or disk f on the sprocket shaft. The pawl is held in engagement with the ratchet, as by means of a spring f3. These various parts are clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6. The sprocket is provided with a head or handhold f6 by means of which it may be turned independently on the shaft. Itwill be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 3 that when the sprocket is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the film may be advanced any desired amount to frame the pictures thereon with respect to the exposure opening.

In 'order' to permit of the intermittent advancing movement of the film, a certain amount of slack must be provided between the lm advancing means and the upper film feeding device or sprocket; rl`he location of the slack in the body of the film is y clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. rlhe upper film feeding device and the lower take-up device operate at substantially the same speed. If, therefore, the take-np de vice is advanced by hand to pull down the film for the purpose -of framing or otherwise, the amount of slack above the film advancing means is reduced more or less. For the successful operation of the machine, therefore, it then becomes necessary to pay out at the top, or in advance of the film advancing means. an additional amount of film, substantially equal to that taken up by the adjustment of the take-up device, so as to preserve a proper amount of slack above the lm advanclng means. For this reason I therefore prefer to also make the upper film feeding device or sprocket adjustable independently vof the means for normally rotating the same. This is done preferably in the same way as in the case of the take-up device, that is, as shown in fi and 5, by mounting the sprocket loose upon the sprocket shaft c and in providing a pawl e2 carried by the fixed driving member c and forced into active engagement with the ratchet e5 on the sprocket, by means of a spring e3. Thus, after the lower sprocket or take-up device is adjusted for the purpose of framing the picture, the

upper sprocket may be adjusted by means of the head e on the end thereof to provide a sufficient amount of slack above the film advancing means.

The machine may be operated by'power or manually and in the latter case, there would preferably be engaged upon the main -drive shaft @,an operating crank c2. Motion is transmitted to the various parts by a suitable train of gearing. 'In the present instance this gearing consists of av main gear c3 meshing with an intermediate'gear c4, which imparts rotation to a gear c5 on the upper sprocket shaft ce; a gear c7 on the lower sprocket shaft in mesh with the main a point where it may be struck by the oscilu lating shutter, and in order to protect it against any possible injury, I may provide a guard member k2, located between the .window member andthe upper sprocket.

It will be understood that the invention as a whole, and the various features there of, may be applied equally as well 'to the camera for taking the pictures as to projecting apparatus for displaying th; saine.

lhat is claimed, is:

1. In a moving-picture machine having an exposure opening, a reciprocating device for intermittently advancing the film, a clamp adapted to clamp the film on the up stroke of the film advancing device and to release it on the down stroke of the film advancing device, a reciprocating shutter, and means for moving said shutter past the exposure i opening twice to each cycle of the machine, one of said movements taking place during the downward stroke of the film advancing means. Y

2. In a moving picture machine, a plate having an exposure opening therein, a movable clamping member associated therewith, a pivoted lever, a hook carried thereby in engagement with the movable clamping member, a tensionsprihg connected with the said hook, a cam roll on the lever, a cani adapted for engagement with said cam roll, a pivoted shutter arm and a shutter carried thereby, and a crank connection between said shutter arm and the cam.

L. C: means for intermittently advancing the ilm 5 pest 'the exposure opening, e pivoted lever,

e., hook Carried thereby in engagement with the movable Clamping member, a teneion spring connected with the said hook, :i cam roll on the lever, e eem adapted for engage- 10 ment with Seid eem roll, e pivotecl shutter arm und a shutter carried thereby, and e crank connection between Seid shutter arm and the oem.

Ll. ln a moving picture machine, e plate 15 having an exposure opening therein, :i movable clamping member associated therewith, e pivotecl lever, a hook carried thereby engeging the movable clamping member, a spring-acting on the hook, a cam roll on the eeeree lever, and e cam adapted or engagement with seid eem roll to force the hook over to hold the elamping'member in clamping engagement with the aforesaid plate.

ln a moving picture machine rovided with an exposure opening, a clamp or holding the film during exposure periods, a eem for operating seid clamp, a pivoted shutter erm and a. shutter carried thereby, and :L crank connection between said shutter arm and the cam.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invent-ion l have signed my name in presence of the Subscribing witnesses this 90th day of Mey 1908.

GEORGE W. BINGHAM. lWitnesses GEORGE l?. BENTLEY, J. C. LARSEN, 

